California Clashes

Keeping the fires burning in SoCal

Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines

Let's be forthright in suggesting that at a major drag race now, the cars running in Pro Stock really don't look that much different than Funny Cars. The wings are smaller, and there aren't any greenish flames or sternum-crushing decibels, but they're still pretty much indistinguishable from one another.
However long it's taken things to get there--and it's been moving that way for years--the pinnacle of doorslammer classes still managed to retain a modicum of brand identity considerably past the point where the muscle era, as it's usually defined, had ended. So we reached out to Ron Lewis, the drag-racing photojournalist in San Diego, and asked him to walk us through the world of stock-bodied drag racing in his backyard as the 1970s were approaching the 1980s.
Looking at the bodywork on some of these race cars, you'll probably agree that in some cases, they represent products from the years past the peak of traditional muscle, and that's putting it charitably. But you can also clearly tell the difference between a Ford and a Dodge, even if it's a Mustang II and a Dart, respectively.
You can also tell something else: The stands are full.

This article originally appeared in the June, 2012 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.